A Swift or Ghost moth (Hepialidae) at Lawson, ACT
Identification history
| Elhamma australasiae | 17 Feb 2026 | ibaird | ||
| Elhamma australasiae | 15 Feb 2026 | TimL |
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User's notes
These images provide details of the eggs laid by the female Ghost Moth seen in previous sighting 4720991. The tiny eggs were initially white when laid and quickly turned colour to brown and then black. The eggs were initially spherical in shape, but some turned into flattened oval shapes over time, and developed indentations before splitting open as can be seen in the first image. To the right of the first image is a small clump of the white and yellow contents from within one of the eggs. The second image shows a split open oval shaped egg with its white contents visible. The outer surface of this egg has a cell-like pattern on it. Each egg is covered with a membranous coating and as some eggs change shape from spherical to oval, the membranous coating delaminates, allowing air into the delamination folds which in turn forms the hexagonal cell-like patterns. In the middle of the third image an egg has the delaminated membranous coating clearly visible. The fourth image shows the initial spherical egg shapes together with a membrane patterned oval egg. The final image shows the underside of the dead moth after having laid her eggs. These moths have no mouth parts to feed with and apparently die shortly after mating and dispersing their eggs.
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Location information
- Coordinates 149.094695-35.227964
- Maps Lawson North Grasslands
- Places Lawson, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 6 Feb 2026 01:47 PM Recorded on
- TimL Recorded by
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Collections
TimL NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Latest Elhamma australasiae Swift and Ghost moths (Hepialidae) Moths (Lepidoptera) Insects
Additional information
- 25mm to 50mm Animal size
Species information
- Elhamma australasiae Scientific name
- A Swift or Ghost moth (Hepialidae) Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1117.9m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
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Synonyms
Porina banghaasii Porina banghaasi
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes